Oregon AIM Attorneys

In over twenty years with Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM), Sam has represented hundreds of injured motorcyclists. Usually, they’re injured or sometimes killed by the negligent actions of car drivers. Further, his law firm continues to handle motorcycle discrimination cases, such as motorcycle club members denied access to restaurants or taverns, or bikers denied motel rooms just because they rode in. He’s coached bikers in contesting tickets for “illegal” helmets. In fact, he’s gone to court countless times with trials for cases where bikers were accused of wearing the “wrong” kind of helmet. In another case, a motorcycle club on a run was harassed by police with multiple traffic infractions, so Sam had them ALL ask for trials. They tied up a courtroom in Grants Pass, Oregon, for almost three days with infraction trials. He took the helmet law up to Oregon’s Supreme Court in the early 1990’s, and he’s worked with BikePAC of Oregon in the legislature, both in advocating for motorcycle-friendly laws and in giving testimony before various committees of the Oregon House and Senate.

As an active life member of ABATE of Oregon and an AMO member, he tries to get out of the office to local and statewide runs. When he can’t, bikers are in his office. Biker injury claims are about one-third of his busy personal injury practice. “I’d rather have a waiting room full of bikers than have it full of bankers or executives any day,” he says, except of course when the biker IS the banker or the executive! Every year, the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) honors outstanding members of the motorcycling community for their contributions to our sport and life style. In 2000, Sam Hochberg was honored with their prestigious Silver Spoke award, for excellence in legal service to the biker community.

NCOM Region

REGION I : Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

Anti-Discrimination Law

DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF CLOTHING OR CLUB MEMBERSHIP IS ILLEGAL

Oregon law provides that “practices of discrimination against any of its inhabitants because of race, religion, color, sex marital status, national origin, age or disability are a matter of state concern…” ORS 659.20; and that Oregon’s Civil Rights laws are “to insure human dignity of all people within this state…” ORS 659.022. All persons are “entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges of any place of public accommodation…” ORS 30.670.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in Cohen v. California, 403 U.S. 15 (1971) that individuals have a First Amendment constitutional right to wear clothing which displays writing or designs.The Supreme Court has also long recognized and protected the individual’s right to freedom of association. In Oregon, any person unconstitutionally discriminated against by a place of public accommodation may file a complaint with the Bureau of Labor and Industries, ORS 659.045, or ran bring suit to recover compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorney fees, costs, and disbursements. ORS 30.680.

Don’t subject yourself to civil and criminal penalties and to expensive and time consuming lawsuits. Don’t discriminate against people wearing colors or motorcycle attire.